Violations of the due process and human rights of the President of NEXtv, Riccardo Francolini, by the judicial authorities do not seem to stop.
Only yesterday judge thirteenth of the Judicial Organ, Alina Hubiedo refused granting release on bail to Francolini.
The legal defense of Francolini confirmed the measure to Panamá América, and said that they will file the corresponding resources to appeal the decision before the Higher Court.
"The release on bail was indeed denied to Francolini, but we have not yet been notified," said lawyer Carlos Carrillo on Tuesday afternoon.
The denial of this bail occurs as a number jurists agree that the Public Ministry (MP) has advanced on cases of misappropriation, without counting on the audits by the Comptroller General of the Republic just as the law provides.
General Attorney Kenya Porcell requested Comptroller General Federico Humbert to start an audit of a loan disbursement for $7 million granted by Caja de Ahorros, to finance the construction of the Convention Center in Amador to consortium HPC-Contratas-P&V.
Lawyer Ernesto Cedeño said that a decision by the plenum of the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) on July 3, 2014 determined that the Comptroller´s Office is only making audits that have an evidentiary value of an offence against the public administration.
Just last week, after conducting several judicial proceedings, the MP asked the Comptroller Federico Humbert an audit on the case.
Carlos Carrillo, defence lawyer of the President of NEXtv, Riccardo Francolini, was wondering how it had been possible that the Anti-corruption Prosecutor First could sustain the detention of several former directors of Caja de Ahorros for an alledged injury to the public treasury without any audits.
With no audits, prosecutor Tania Sterling will have to order replacing the measure of preventive detention against Francolini because the General Attorney herself, Kenya Porcell, accepted that there is no audit, assessed Carrillo.
"Stating the need for an audit just now demonstrates that there was no legal basis for their detention." This seems somewhat contradictory how the Attorney General is saying that there will be an audit, but her subordinate ordered their arrest", he said.
Lawyer Alejandro Pérez, pointed out that in this case, the legal arguments are being tainted by the political hand.
"We knew that this was going to happen because what is being sought is to keep him imprisoned. This is a case where there is no misappropriation but a completely political case", warned lawyer Alejandro Pérez who also said lawyers feel with tied hands, in this country the measures of preventive detention are still being taken lightly, in flagrant violation of the law that regulates this matter”.
"There is no doubt that there is a political hand in all this. It's simple: Riccardo Francolini is imprisoned not for the investigation of a loan approved by Caja de Ahorros, but because he is the President of NEXtv, a TV channel critical of Varela´s administration", said Alejandro Pérez.
Yesterday there was also a protest and night watch in front of the Avesa building, the Anti-corruption Prosecutors´ Office. The protesters were demanding the release of the President of NEXtv.
